You know what they say, “couples that train together stay together” (and by “they” I mean people on social media, ha!).

While the truth in that statement is certainly up for debate, there’s a lot to be said for having a workout buddy. A great way for people to stay motivated is to pursue a goal with a significant other or teammate (that could be a best friend, sibling, parent etc.). So why not use that to your advantage and market your services to couples, pairs, or duos?

While it might seem like the kind of service that would only work for in-person clients, training for couples can, in fact, be done 100% online. It just takes some careful planning and a well-developed program.

So let’s kick off that planning by looking at some of the key things you’ll need to decide if you’re going to start selling personal training to couples.

How are you going to set up a program for 2 people?

You can probably imagine, there are lots of people already working out in pairs. But, as of now, they are most likely setting out to the gym with a workout they found online that might not be the most effective for both (or either) of them.

As coaches, we can take the guesswork out their workouts, help hold them both accountable to their workouts and nutrition, and support each of them individually through their fitness journey. But you need to build them a program first.

There are a few different approaches here:

1. Give each of them a personalized program

To make sure you’re delivering on the “personal” part in personal training, you could give each client in the pair their own custom-tailored program.

To make a “couple-friendly” you can schedule their workouts on the same days/times or include “partner” exercises in their program to ramp up how reliant they are on each other as motivators and allies on their fitness journeys.

2. Give them both the same program, but include options for each exercise

If you happen to find some couples who are interested in similar training styles, you could potentially build a program and give it to both members of the pair. But to make sure it covers any differences in fitness level (or injuries), include notes on how to modify each exercise to make it more or less challenging.

3. Give them both the same program

Option 3 is what we’ll call the “cookie-cutter” approach, and it’s definitely an option if you’re selling these packages under the category of “one-size-fits-most” or low-touch/high volume training.

It’s certainly not the most personalized approach, and it won’t completely remove the risk that one or both members of the couple are following a program that isn’t quite suited to their needs or abilities, but it will get you selling couple-friendly programs and is at least a step up from some random training plan they found online.

Where are the workouts going to be done?

Once you’ve settled on the structure of the program (or programs) you’re going to market to couples, it’s time to think about where the workouts you add to them should or could be completed: at a gym, outside, or at home.

Why is this important? Because not all couples are going to have gym memberships and even if they do, they might not belong to the same club.

Similarly, if you were thinking of the “at home” route, not all couples are going to live together! (All of this is especially important if you’re not just marketing to romantic partners, but other duos too, like best friends, siblings, or parents/kids.)

This might bring some creativity on how you can use your Trainerize app to help motivate them together. Will they meet each other at the gym or other agreed upon location, or do their workouts solo while still using each other for motivation to get it done?

This could be something the couple has to decide, but as their coach, you should have a plan for them based on their situation. Our job is to help them decide the most effective way to work out, get results, and coach them through those workouts.

What are you going to charge?

This will depend on what you decided for some of the earlier considerations (like how the program will be built), but at the end of the day, it should always take into account the amount of work you have to put into it.

Be sure to analyze how much work it will take you to motivate and program for two people and be sure to price your programs accordingly. The last thing you want to do is offer a discount or have the couple split the price of your regular monthly training price because you have to remember (even if they have each other) you’re still coaching them and will still be holding two people accountable; not just one.

Give it a try and expand your business through partner training. Sometimes just putting the idea in peoples mind is all you need to gain them as a customer. They might be thinking they would love to train with a partner, but don’t know it’s an option until you put it out there.

Michelle is the resident fitness expert for Trainerize. She has 8 years’ experience in the fitness industry training clients through her own business including: professional and elite level athletes, celebrities, online clients, and average people with fitness and fat loss goals, to name a few. She holds a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) and a certified level 1 Nutrition Coach. Michelle wakes up happy every day because she is able to do what she loves for a living.
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